PSAT Reading Question 11: Answer and Explanation

Question: 11

The main purpose of the passage is to

• A. discuss the life of a powerful financier and explain the impact of his death.
• B. reveal the motivations behind a sudden change in the life of a tycoon.
• C. outline the reasons that a wealthy businessman made few friends.
• D. argue that prosperity is more likely to result from hard work than from risky speculations.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

A

The question asks about the main purpose of the passage. Because this is a general question, it should be done after all of the specific questions. The beginning of the passage describes the death of a wealthy financier and the impact of his death, stating that he died without making one loyal friend to mourn him, but that it seemed to those living in the great vortices of business as if the earth too shuddered under a blow. The following paragraphs discuss Manderson's life and his rise to power in the financial world. Choice (A) matches this structure, so keep it. The passage mentions a change in Manderson's life, but it also says that how the change came about none could with authority say, so eliminate (B). The passage does mention that Manderson died without making any loyal friends, but the focus of the passage as a whole is not why he failed to make friends, so (C) can also be eliminated. While the passage does explain that Manderson was more successful after he changed from a gambler of genius to one who worked with steady labour, the passage focuses on Manderson specifically, not on the advantages of hard work over risky speculations in general. Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (A).